Australian psychiatrist Peter Cook has
worked and published in the field of child and family mental health
for many years. Mothering Matters is his follow-up to Early
Childcare: Infants and Nations at Risk.

In Part 1, Dr. Cook presents well-researched evidence that there
is a natural, healthy, best-fit pattern of early mothering for the
human species. This pattern includes breastfeeding, carrying,
attachment, enjoyment, and empathy. In Part 2, he considers how
departures from this pattern contribute to emotional, behavioral,
and health problems in society as a whole. Part 3 describes how our
society could better support healthy mothering and fathering by
better understanding and designing the environments in which
families raise children.

"I urge everyone with a social conscience to heed Peter
Cook's sage words about early childhood. Failure to do so can only
result in further damage to the young and the fabric of our
society."